Hot Topics:

Longmont arts groups move forward with merger

By Quentin YoungLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
12/18/2012 11:27:01 PM MST

Updated:
12/19/2012 08:04:05 PM MST

LONGMONT -- Leaders of Longmont's Firehouse Art Center and the Longmont Council for the Arts have agreed to start the process of a possible merger of the two organizations that would result in the LCA absorbing the Firehouse, according to Debbie Adams, president of the LCA's board of directors, and Vern Seieroe, president of the Firehouse's board of directors.

A merger of some sort has been discussed since at least August as an answer to the Firehouse's chronic financial difficulties. The organizations are both nonprofits that operate downtown art galleries and other programs.

The Firehouse board of directors voted on the matter on Tuesday.

Firehouse Art Center at 667 Fourth Ave. in Longmont could become part of Longmont Council for the Arts.
(
JOSHUA BUCK
)

"It's something we want to explore with the LCA," Seieroe said, cautioning that there is much for his board yet to consider before it signs off on a merger.

The executive director of the Longmont Community Foundation, Eric Hozempa, is expected to facilitate the negotiations.

Starting in early January, the LCA will request to see financial records, bank statements and other relevant documents from the Firehouse. Then the LCA board will consider whether to move forward with a merger, Adams said.

"If everything is in order, I'm sure that our board will approve this," Adams said, but later added, "If we see a lot of liability we won't do it."

Another option for the Firehouse emerged this week. A group that includes current and former Firehouse staff members are proposing to establish a new arts organization to replace the one now incorporated as the Firehouse, according to Angelica Epelbaum, a former staff member and one of the group's members. She said the group also includes Firehouse art director Jessica Kooiman, Firehouse education director Kayti Downey, and former Firehouse outreach specialist Krystle Kelley, Epelbaum said.

She said the group plans soon to present a business plan to the Firehouse board. The group doesn't view itself as competing with the LCA for control of the Firehouse, but it believes the community would best be served with the Firehouse under its leadership, Epelbaum said. An LCA-controlled Firehouse would lead to an LCA-dominated downtown arts scene, she said.

"There would absolutely be a monopoly on the artistic perspective of what downtown Longmont has to offer," Epelbaum said.

The Firehouse board will consider the group's idea, Seieroe said.

"It was just an idea that needs a lot more development," he said, adding that the Firehouse board expects to be presented with the group's business plan during a Dec. 27 board meeting.

The Firehouse is housed in a historic building at 667 Fourth Ave. that is owned by the city of Longmont. It pays the city $1 a year in rent.

Local duo joining overseas exhibition excursionFilippo Swartz went to Italy, where his mother was born and he spent the first year or so of his life, every summer until he had to stick around to be a part of summer football activities for the Longmont High School team. Full Story

MacIntyre says the completed project will be best in Pac-12There were bulldozers, hard hats, mud, concrete trucks, blueprints, mud, cranes, lots of noise and, uh, mud, during the last recruiting cycle when Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre brought recruits to campus. Full Story

Most people don't play guitar like Grayson Erhard does. That's because most people can't play guitar like he does. The guitarist for Fort Collins' Aspen Hourglass often uses a difficult two-hands-on-the-fretboard technique that Eddie Van Halen first popularized but which players such as Erhard have developed beyond pop-rock vulgarity.
Full Story